The Federal Elections Commission (FEC) held its hearing on Jan. 14th and 15th on the agency's performance, policies, and procedures. RollCall ($$) called it a "marathon bloodletting" for new chairman Steven Walther. The two day public hearings follow a public comment period, during which OMB Watch filed comments. The comment period will be reopened, so if you missed out the first time you will have another chance.

A federal panel recently upheld a Georgia law that requires individuals to present a government issued ID when they cast their vote. Democrats were against the law because they feel that it may disenfranchise minority and low-income voters. Supporters of the law argued that it would prevent voter fraud. No evidence was presented, however, that indicates that voter fraud is a major problem in Georgia.

As previously reported , Barclays bank remains determined to shut down the account of the Bradford based charity, Ummah Welfare Trust (UWT), but extended the deadline for closure by 21 days. The closure of the account will translate into a 30% loss of the charity's revenue which comes from direct debits and untraceable anonymous donors.

The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a ruling declaring the statute making it a crime to provide "material support or resources" to any group designated a "foreign terrorist organization" as unconstitutional. The decision reaffirmed that previous attempts to adjust the statute failed to do so.